Tuam Herald shortlisted for Local Ireland Awards

Awards will be announced in September

MEMBERS of The Tuam Herald newsroom have been shortlisted for this year’s prestigious Local Ireland Media Awards.

Photographer Ray Ryan, Editor Siobhán Holliman and journalist Patrick Flaherty have all received nominations following a record number of more than 700 entries.

The awards, sponsored by the National Lottery, are in their tenth year and showcase the high-quality journalism that’s within the local newspaper sector in Ireland.

Tuam Herald staff photographer Ray Ryan, who has won the award for Best Photograph on two occasions, has again made the shortlist in this category. Ray’s photo entitled ‘Raising the Bar’ is a striking and atmospheric photo taken of Tánaiste Simon Harris during a visit to Tuam ahead of last year’s elections where he met with local representatives of the hospitality industry.

Ray is among four photographers in contention for the Best Photograph award, the others being from The Clare Champion, The Meath Chronicle and The Anglo Celt.

Editor Siobhán Holliman, who has previously been a finalist for Best Feature, Best News Story and Best Sustainability Journalist in the awards, is also among those shortlisted. Siobhán has been nominated in the National Lottery Community Journalist of the Year category. Her feature entitled ‘Milltown Museum a leading light’ has earned her one of the four finalist places. The other nominations are from The Meath Chronicle, The Clare Champion and The Munster Express.

Journalist Patrick Flaherty, who joined The Tuam Herald only last year, has received his first nomination in the awards. Patrick is one of four journalists shortlisted for Best Diversity Journalist of the Year for his feature on Traveller singer-songwriter Kathleen Keenan entitled ‘Overcoming adversity to make it in the music world’. The other nominations are from The Westmeath Independent, The Connacht Tribune and The Clare Champion.

President of Local Ireland and Managing Director of the Southern Star Seán Mahon didn’t envy the challenge of the judges in deciding on the winners due to the high quality of entries.

Jennifer Crowe, Head of Corporate Affairs for the National Lottery, said: “The stories shortlisted for this year’s National Lottery category are a testament to the strength and spirit of communities across Ireland.

“Through the lens of local journalism, we see the heart of our society, people coming together, overcoming challenges, and making a difference. It’s an honour to help recognise these powerful community stories.”

There are 19 categories reflecting the best of journalism, photography, design, digital initiatives and sales creativity. A special award for Lifetime Achievement is also made on behalf of the members of Local Ireland.

This year’s awards have also received support from Coimisiún na Meán. Media Development Commissioner Rónán Ó’Domnhaill said they were delighted to support the awards and to recognise the talent and commitment of local newspapers and their work supporting and informing local communities.

“We believe access to good quality and trustworthy news for all citizens is critical for a well-functioning society and so far, our journalism schemes have funded almost €2.2 million to Local Ireland members across the country. Coimisiún na Meán will continue to support the sector with the announcement of further journalism schemes later this year.”

Chair of the judging panel, author and journalist Alison O’Connor remarked: “Picking winners in the different categories is always a challenging task for the judges - from the sharpness of the news stories to the well-crafted features, interviews and columns. All told, the standard shows how well communities around the country are served by their local newspapers.”

Winners will be announced at a gala dinner at the Mullingar Park Hotel on September 11 presented by Marty Whelan.